Rise of the Guardians: Family Moments
by ChibiLover123
Summary: A series of one-shots between 'RotG: Night's Fury' and 'RotG: War', which highlights the growing relationships between Jade and the Guardians. Any ideas are welcome! Jack/Jade
1. 1

After that Easter, it felt like everything had changed drastically.

My pack had expanded to include all of the Guardians, Jack and me were in a relationship, and children were starting to believe in him.

Once all of that sank in the next morning, sitting at breakfast, I nearly cried.

We were finally starting to heal.


	2. 2

Firelight danced across the room, tingeing the wood and furniture a soft gold around the edges.

North was sprawled on a massive armchair, snoring louder than his chainsaw, with little candy canes dancing over his head like sugar plums.

Bunny was stretched out on his end of one of the couches, head leaning back in an awkward position and foot twitching as the dream-sand carrots were ravaged by dream-sand bunnies.

Tooth occupied the other end curled up like a cat, wings buzzing every now and then as she mumbled something about premolars in Houston or bicuspids in Tokyo, the glow of teeth over her head highlighting the fairy's smile.

A purr rumbled from Jade's chest as she took in the sight, pressing back more firmly into Jack's chest as his arm tightened over her waist.

Eyes half-lidded in contentment, she watched Sandy float by in his sleep, sprinkling the sand over his fellows as he passed.

As the little golden shapes of the Guardians appeared over her head, lulling the dragon-girl to sleep, Jade wondered if this was what family felt like.


	3. 3

"Come on, slowpokes! I have surprise for you!"

Stumbling over her own tail, Jade yawned wide enough to audibly crack her jaw.

With a chuckle, Jack floated past her, just as tired but able to put in less work on moving around.

Scowling cutely, at least in the spirits' opinion, the dragon-girl picked up her pace and ignored the soreness.

Using so much magic on so little sleep was still weighing on her.

North seemed pretty proud of himself, and opened the hallway door with a flourish.

Both teenagers stared at the room beyond in wonder.

Almost the entire far wall was taken up by a window, with a seat carved into the lower part of the wall that was covered in wonderfully soft cushions and perfect for reading by daylight.

A bed was pressed against the far right wall, only a couple thin sheets folded back on top, and the headboard had intricately-carved snowflakes all around the rim like a crown.

The far left wall had a fireplace, and a large nest of thick blankets-_how had they known Jade preferred to sleep in her dragon form?_-sat on the rug there, already warmed by the fire.

Looking back at the others, whatever words Jade could think of stuck in her throat at the sight of their happy, proud faces staring back.

Jack was the one who managed to speak, instead.

"This is…for us?"

"Of course it is!" Tooth assured, buzzing up as Sandy put up two thumbs-up in agreement.

"Ya two are family now." Bunny explained, not quite making eye contact in mild embarrassment. "Couldn't let ya go 'round without a home, could we?"

"And always happy to have guests!" North agreed boisterously. "So, what do you think?"

Emotionally overwhelmed, Jade felt herself tear up, and she was not the only one to notice.

"Oi, don't cry!" Bunny panicked, ears snapping back. "This ain't something to cry over!"

"Fluffy?" Jack whispered, concerned.

Shaking her head, the Night Fury gave the alarmed Guardians a watery smile in reassurance.

"It's just…"

Jack heard the rest of that sentence without being told, and pulled the emotional girl into a hug.

_No one's ever been so nice to me_.

_**Not since Jack**_.


	4. 4

Despite being given free rein of the workshop, Jade somehow always found herself outside with the reindeer.

They were big, and intimidating, and sometimes they tried to smash her brain out with their antlers, but she felt a kinship with the beasts.

After all, she was a fearsome creature herself, a symbol of lightning and death, but Jade knew that was not all she was.

Maybe that was not all the reindeer were, either.

So when North found her a few hours later, sitting in one of the stalls and cooing to a strangely-snuggly reindeer, he could only watch in amazement.

A smile formed on the Russian's face.

It was nice seeing his children get along so well.


	5. 5

Jade thought she was rather tolerant of the elves, for the most part.

They always ended up underfoot, or using her as a jungle gym, but she had never felt genuine frustration with the strange little creatures.

_But this was the last straw_.

A roar shook the very rafters of Santoff Claussen, and North nearly jumped out of his skin, crushing the cookie in his hand to crumbs.

The Russian's initial thought was to relax, since Jack could calm Jade down…

Until he remembered that Jack was in the southern hemisphere spreading winter.

That's about when the panic set in.

After all, there was an angry, likely rampaging dragon in his Workshop, and the only person known to calm her had left hours ago!

North contemplated summoning the other Guardians, but berated his own cowardice.

Had he not been the greatest thief lord in the world?

Faced the Nightmare King without fear?

What was a little dragon in light of all that?

Then again, that same dragon had chucked a sixteen-wheeler at said Nightmare King's face…

Gathering the rapidly-dwindling dregs of his courage, North exited his office and surveyed the battlefield.

Tables were overturned and being used as barricades for the clearly-frightened yeti, toys were scattered harmlessly across the floor, and elves were scattered in screaming masses.

A black blur pounced on one such mass as it scattered, and North admitted that an angry Night Fury was a rather intimidating sight.

Scales rippling like a tumultuous sea, she bared her hooked fangs at the guilty elves, a growl rumbling from her like fast-approaching thunder.

For once, North wished Jack would hurry back.

"Jade!"

His shout drew the dragon's attention, slit pupils feral.

"Enough!"

For a moment, the Russian thought he would need to grab his swords, but that was unnecessary.

Slowly, Jade relaxed, scales settling and growl softening into only the slightest rumble as her pupils dilated once more.

This gave him confidence, so North approached, patting her head the way he had seen Jack do.

Her growl was replaced by a purr as the man's thick fingers rubbed at the sensitive base of her ear horns, and the Night Fury pressed against him in a silent plea for more.

Chuckling, North motioned for the yeti to clean up, smiling as Phil grabbed up the foolish elves that had started this whole ruckus.

Judging by the grunts and exaggerated hand gestures, they were now firmly on the Naughty List.


	6. 6

Ever since he had first seen the effect of dragon nip, Bunny had begun to wonder what else caused such a reaction in the Night Fury.

So, when Jade visited the Warren during one of Jack's habitual rounds, the Pooka decided it was the perfect time to test his theories.

* * *

Sprawled out on a warm patch of grass, Jade stretched her wings out with a purr to fully absorb the sunlight.

Warmth was rare when one traveled with the personification of winter, and, as a dragon, she was drawn to it like a normal cold-blooded reptile despite her own built-in heater.

An ear horn twitched as Bunny's hopping gate registered, but there was no other sign of recognition; unlike Jack, the Australian was not going to pull any sort of prank.

Plants are quite flammable, you know.

When he settled down beside the mass of black scales, the Night Fury gave him a look that said _What?_

Bunny just shrugged in response, settling on his haunches and surveying the view from her designated hilltop, so Jade metaphorically shrugged as well.

_Probably just taking a break_…

She was just starting to doze off when a paw brushed against the lower ridges on her cheeks and scratched.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Every scale along her back rippled once, following the signal being sent to her nerves, and Jade purred loudly, stretching up to better accommodate the attention.

Intrigued, Bunny followed the sensitive curve of her jaw, feeling the powerful muscles twitch under his claws.

Leaning up and into the touch, her wings flexed as if ready to take off from all the extra stimulus-

Just as Bunny scratched the spot under her chin.

The Night Fury's entire body tensed up, every muscle contracting as her eyes snapped open in surprise.

The Pooka went still, thinking for a moment that he had overstepped some boundary and was about to be eaten-

When Jade toppled over in a boneless mass of wings, tail, and scales.

Taking in the sight of her, purring lazily and twitching as feeling returned to her numbed body, Bunny counted this experiment as a success.

He winced as the dragon yawned, revealing two rows of hooked fangs.

_If he wanted to get his paw bitten off in the process, that is_.


	7. 7

It was Tooth that realized what Jack meant by 'that reflected-light trick'.

The two teenagers had come to help out with organizing the tooth boxes, since she was having trouble performing such a big project while collecting teeth twenty-four hours a day, and were immediately put to work.

Jade caught onto the filing system quickly, and with her sharp gaze, took control of the project with quiet grace.

Even Jack, rebellious as he could be, deferred to the girl's orders without a fuss.

Tooth was impressed and relieved, leaving the two alone to work so she could return to directing the mini-fairies.

A few hours later, during the lull that always occurred as night shifted from one hemisphere to the other, the fairy returned to see how they were doing.

"That goes over there, and this one here-Thanks, Baby Tooth, that should go here-Jackson Overland Frost, _if you drop those containers_-!"

Jade was clearly frustrated, but she did not seem overwhelmed, and Tooth was extremely proud.

Laughing as he faked dropping the handful of tooth containers in his arms, Jack swiftly dodged a pebble she chucked at him and rushed to put them away before the dragon-girl got genuinely upset.

Tooth smiled, seeing the slightest little quirk on the girl's lips.

"How are you two doing so far?" The fairy wondered, taking a container from one of the overburdened mini-fairies.

"I think we've made a pretty good dent in the workload." Jade admitted, slipping another container into it's slot. "Maybe we could-"

For a moment, Tooth wondered what had distracted the Night Fury so thoroughly.

Then she looked down.

A shaft of sunlight had reflected off the tooth container in her hand, creating a dot of brightness on the smooth tile floor that seemed to have mesmerized the dragon-girl.

Pupils blown wide until there was only a ring of bright green visible, Jade stared at the dot intently, going completely still.

Curious, Tooth shifted the container, causing the dot to move across the floor.

The dragon-girl twitched, following it's path with her eyes.

At Jack's muffled snickering, the fairy realized what was going on.

_It seemed Jade's hunting instincts were stronger than they suspected_.

Tooth caused the dot to zip around, laughing as Jade transformed and took off after it like a cat might a toy mouse.

Jack joined in on the fun, as he was wont to do, and both laughed as the Night Fury tried in vain to catch the multitude of lights zipping around her like fireflies.

_Moments like this, Tooth realized how important it was to stop and have some fun with people you care about_.


	8. 8

It was all a very big misunderstanding.

Sandy, in his own way, had suggested that the Guardians start getting together more often than for emergencies or work.

All of them agreed, and North decided that a monthly 'family dinner' was in order.

There was only one problem, though.

_None of them had any idea what dragons ate_.

Honestly, Jade was the only dragon any of the Guardians had spent more than a few minutes with, and those other encounters were not exactly pleasant.

So North, who was hosting the dinner, asked the only person who could possibly know the answer.

"Jade? She'll eat pretty much anything." Jack answered, leaning nonchalantly on his staff. "But she loves fish! We can't fly over the ocean without her trying to catch something!"

You see, _this_ is where the misunderstanding occurred.

Because while Jack had specified _fish_, North heard _seafood_, which is what he relayed to the yeti who were making the meal.

While fish were part of that category, so were crabs, lobster, oysters, and…

"_EEL_!"

With a panic none of them had seen, not even against Pitch, Jade leapt out of her seat at the dinner table at breakneck speeds and was across the room in seconds.

Jack was too busy laughing to explain why.

Bunny poked said eel, as if expecting it to either bite him or turn out to be some sort of ancient evil.

Images flashed over Sandy's head, and she could only shake her head, glaring at the offending creature with narrowed pupils.

"What is wrong? Eel is good!" North voiced, picking the long sea critter up and offering it again.

A snarl rumbled from Jade's chest, wings flaring in a threatening manner as she crouched, looking every inch the cornered animal.

Just one more step-

And the Night Fury was off, leaping off walls and whatever spirits got in her way as North chased her, intent on figuring out what the problem was.

Chaos erupted, and Jack was glad he had no real need to breathe considering how hard he was laughing.

An upturned table, a handful of shattered dishes, and a slightly-singed Santa later, all of the Guardians swore to never allow an eel near Jade _ever again_.


	9. 9

Sandy, due to his silence, had become a great observer.

It was how he knew what dream to give to each child, and which needed an extra-special one.

When he had met Jade that first time, the dream-bringer had known immediately that she was part of the latter category.

There was something in the girl's eyes, in the way she held herself, that hinted at great pain.

So, the first time Sandy saw her drifting off to sleep, curled up on a couch in Santoff Claussen and flicking away stubborn elves with her tail, he decided it was time for one of those extra-special dreams.

A sprinkle of dream-sand on the girl's eyes worked it's magic quickly, and Jade let out a soft breath as her entire body relaxed, tail falling and pinning a hapless elf to the floor.

For once, Sandy stayed to see what dream her mind would make, and found he was only mildly surprised.

Two forms manifested, one that was clearly Jack and the other obviously being Jade in peace-form, flying around in a complicated game of tag.

As the dream progressed, Sandy smiled as the other Guardians joined in, laughing and having fun together.

_That was one of his favorite dreams, too_.


	10. 10

Jack smiled as he floated up behind an unsuspecting Jade, careful not to give himself away.

She was in the kitchen having a late lunch after spending her morning helping North out with painting toys, and was much too tired to notice the winter spirit's approach.

When said spirit floated up to hang upside-down in front of her face, Jade nearly choked on the bagel she was eating in surprise.

Jack chuckled at her thoroughly startled, and admittedly adorable, expression.

"Sorry, it's been a while." He apologized, pecking the girl's nose.

A smile bloomed, and Jade pecked him on the cheek in return.

"And to think I almost missed it." She teased, pupils wide and warm like embers.

That warmth filled his chest in return, and the frost-boy took her face tenderly in his hands, staff tucked safely in an elbow as he went in for a proper kiss.

Cold and heat met in a flash of steam and sparks, a jolt of electricity down their spines, and her hands came up to run through his hair.

Separating for air, Jade quirked a brow at Jack's extremely pleased smirk as he righted himself, crouching on the counter.

"Oh, nothing." The winter spirit assured, smug. "Just thinking about how irresistible I-"

Jade cut him off with another kiss, but he could not find it in himself to be that upset over it.

_She'd come around eventually_.


	11. 11

Sometimes, when Jack was out on his rounds and she was restless, Jade would go out to stretch her wings.

She flew all over the world, from the cold tundra of Russia to the warm beaches of California, but always found herself back in Burgess.

_Back where it all began_.

Summer was coming to an end, showing the first signs of autumn, and she admired the warming leaves surrounding Jack's lake.

Burgess itself was the same as always, with children running around playing any manner of games and adults passing on the sidewalks in the midst of errands.

Used to staying out of sight, Jade stayed on the rooftops, watching life go by below.

Night was just painting the sky dark blues when an unfamiliar sound caught her attention.

Curious, as was in her nature, Jade crept along the edge of a toy store's roof, ear horns twitching in an attempt to hear the noise again and pinpoint the source.

This time, she registered the sound and realized what it was.

_A whimper_.

Worried now, the Night Fury leapt to the next rooftop and dropped into the alley there, green eyes glowing in the dark.

That's when she found them.

Hidden under an overturned cardboard box were three little puppies, skinny and helpless on the damp, dirty cement.

Jade's heart twisted painfully as she looked closer and spotted their dead mother within the flimsy shelter, emaciated from feeding her young without proper nourishment.

Tucking in her wings and lowering her stance, the dragon-girl cooed comfortingly as the pups began to whine, afraid.

"It's alright…" She soothed, staying back to put them at ease. "I'm not gonna hurt you…"

One, a little black-and-white puppy, bravely started crossing the distance between them on shaky legs, tail low and ears back as if expecting to be struck.

The poor thing stopped a foot away, nose twitching curiously, before giving a half-hearted wag of it's tail.

The sight tore at Jade's heart.

Picking the little bundle of fur up without a fuss and cradling it close, the dragon-girl carefully approached the others, intent on getting them somewhere safe.

Removing the jacket North insisted she wear, Jade carefully wrapped the trio up to protect from the wind before holding them close and taking off into the night.

_She would take care of them, even if no one had done the same for her_.


	12. 12

The only one Jade told about her new charges was Jack, a sign of the unwavering trust she has for him.

Treating the puppies like she might her own hatchlings, the Night Fury was hesitant to reveal them to the other Guardians.

Understanding this, Jack helped her hide the little creatures in their room at Santoff Claussen.

The black-and-white puppy, a female Jade lovingly named Mia, absolutely loved the winter spirit, hazel eyes lighting up and tail wagging whenever she caught sight of him.

A white male, named Alex, was more attached to Jade, always following her around with these bright blue eyes that did their best to match Jack's.

The runt of the litter was a mottled-grey female, Grace, who was extremely shy and always stuck close to whichever happened to be in the room.

Jade fed them multiple times a day like clockwork, and the trio steadily gained weight, growing strong enough to romp around and play.

Jack looked into dog breeds-_mainly by 'borrowing' books from the library_-and informed his girlfriend that the puppies were most likely Pit Bulls.

If she had not taken them in, both suspected they either would have starved or, more disheartening, been turned into fighting dogs.

_Neither could see the rambunctious, sweet canines being killers_.

"Hold still, you!" Jade ordered, giggling as Mia squirmed in her arms, ignoring the baby bottle full of warm formula in favor of the winter spirit that entered through the window.

"There are my girls!" Jack voiced brightly, floating over to kiss his girlfriend hello and take the wagging pup into his arms. "Having lunch, huh?"

Shaking her head in amusement, the girl handed over the bottle and turned to pick up Alex instead, picking up another to feed him instead.

As Mia began to enthusiastically suck down her liquid meal, Jack laughed at the formula that dripped down her chin.

"Jeez, slow down! I'm not gonna take it away!"

The pup ignored him, and he floated cross-legged in the air, watching Alex calmly accept the nutrient-rich milk from the gentle Night Fury.

Grace was napping in the nest of blankets, having been fed first, and Jade occasionally reached out to scratch behind one of the pup's ears.

The whole sight made him feel warm inside, and Jack nearly jumped as the errant thought _She'll make a great mom_ flashed through his mind.

But as he watched Jade set the white puppy down beside his younger sister, cooing softly to soothe him to sleep, the winter spirit could not argue with it.

_After all, she would be_.


	13. 13

It was three weeks before the Guardians discovered their secret.

North had noticed the constant absences first, since the teenagers were no longer stopping by his office or in the Workshop proper during their free time.

The elves complained about being violently rebuffed from their bedroom, and the yeti noted that Jade was drinking more milk than usual.

Tooth noticed next, since the Night Fury had not shown up to help with organizing like she had promised, and Jack had not visited Baby Tooth in a while.

Bunny found it strange that there were no icy traps lying in wait for him in the Warren, or a large mass of scales napping in the dragon nip.

Not having seen her anywhere in days, even Sandy was concerned, wondering if the scarred teenager was having good dreams.

_The Guardians decided it was time to figure out what was going on_.

* * *

Humming a lullaby, Jade tucked the blankets in, running a hand over the dozing puppies to settle them.

Jack sat on the bed, freezing snowflakes to the ceiling so the sunlight refracted and covered the room in soft rainbows.

A loud knock on the door startled them, cutting off Jade's lullaby, and both teenagers stared at the door in confusion.

_Who in the world…?_

"Are you in?" North's voice boomed through the wooden obstruction. "We're coming in! We need to talk!"

The teenagers felt their hearts drop like heavy stones.

_They were going to come in?! _

_**Now**__?!_

Jade moved sharply, hiding the puppies with a wing and trying not to look guilty, as Jack jumped up from his bed, forcing a smile as the other Guardians piled in.

"Did we miss something? What's the special occasion?"

"What have ya two been doing?" Bunny demanded, suspicious.

If Jack thought he could catch the Pooka off-guard, he had another thing coming!

"What Bunny means is, we haven't seen either of you in a while." Tooth voiced, fluttering forward on blurred wings. "Is everything alright?"

Sandy seemed to agree, clearly worried as images flashed over his head.

"Of course you can tell us!" North assured, concern apparent in his eyes. "No matter what it is! Even if you two are expressing your love-"

The teenagers flushed at the implication, sputtering to deny it, but the Russian continued as if he had not heard them.

"-Is perfectly fine! You are young! There is nothing to be embarrassed about!"

Covering her blush with one hand, Jade sighed in defeat.

North could be so _stubborn_…

The entire room went silent when a little bark sounded from under her wing.

Jack half-expected to hear a pin drop.

"Sheila, what was that?" Bunny questioned cautiously, ears erect.

"What was what?" Jade replied, nervously trying to play it off. "I didn't hear anything! Must have been my stomach. It's time for dinner, isn't it? We'd better go before the food gets cold-"

"Jade."

North's authoritative tone dashed away any possible lies, and she wilted guiltily before lifting her wing up.

It was Mia that popped her little head up, studying the newcomers for a moment before yipping and cuddling back down with her siblings.

Bunny looked like he had just seen a ghost, but Tooth was clearly smitten, cooing over how cute they were as Sandy smiled, dream-sand sprinkling over their heads to give the pups good dreams.

"Why did you not tell us?" North wondered, crouching down to let Alex nibble playfully on his thick forefinger.

"I…"

Jade hesitated, biting her lip and looking to Jack for help.

The winter spirit smiled, much more relaxed now, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in support.

"I thought you might make me send them back…" She admitted softly, looking like a child that still expected a punishment even after giving a good reason for breaking the rules.

"Why would you think that?" Tooth asked softly, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Well…" The Night Fury muttered, gently scratching behind Grace's ears so she growled in pleasure. "I just…when I saw them…"

The realization hit the four Guardians like a freight train.

Jade had seen herself in the puppies, _and she thought they wouldn't want anything to do with them_.

None of them knew what to say.

It was Sandy that came forward, tipping her chin up and giving the girl his brightest smile before patting the girl's nose.

The gesture brought tears to her eyes, but a shaky smile took root regardless.

She understood, and for now, that was enough.


	14. 14

Bunny kept his mouth shut about the puppies, mostly because he did not want to hurt Jade's feelings.

She treated the little dingoes like her babies, and if they thought she was overprotective of _Jack_…

Though the Pooka did his best to avoid being anywhere near them, he still found his breaks being spent at the Workshop.

Only the littlest pup seemed to follow him around, whining whenever Bunny hopped up stairs or over furniture to get away.

So, when he arrived one evening to see how things were going, the rabbit was surprised when he was not immediately 'attacked'.

He did not have to look far to see why.

Jack and Jade were fast asleep on the couch, the latter wrapped in the boy's arms, as a fire crackled cheerfully in the hearth.

Mia was cuddled into the winter spirit's side, and Alex was sprawled on the Night Fury's legs, both fast asleep and dreaming about chasing butterflies.

The grey one, Grace, was curled up between the two teenagers, and blinking big brown eyes at the surprised Pooka.

Recognizing him, she wagged her tail sleepily before settling back down with a yawn.

Bunny would never admit it aloud, but he figured the puppies were pretty cute.

_But he'd be damned if Jack ever found out_.


	15. 15

Jack could not help but worry about Jade sometimes.

No one knew her better than he did, and he had been the one to heal her wounds, physical or otherwise.

While Jade had grown strong, she was still very emotionally fragile, cracks visible around her scars.

This concerned the winter spirit, as well as the other Guardians, but they all kept their peace.

Jade had always respected their privacy, _his privacy_, so Jack could never bring himself to ask.

_She'll open up eventually_, the frost-boy reasoned with himself.

_When she's ready, she'll tell me…_

* * *

"Moon? I have a question to ask you…"

Hearing the soft voice, Jack paused on the threshold to their room and peered around the slightly-open door.

Jade was sitting on the window seat, hugging her knees and looking up at the moon through the open pane of glass.

"I know you don't usually answer, but…I don't know who else to ask."

The winter spirit held his breath, eyes closing at the sad, lost quality in her voice.

"…I've heard that, if a dragon is good enough when they die, that their souls become stars. Is that true? My mother and father…Were they good enough? Are they up there with you?"

A hiccup in her voice, the first crack.

"Or…were they just like the others?"

The frost-boy leaned on the doorframe, trying to anchor himself because _all he wanted to do was make her happy again_.

"Sometimes, on bad days, when I look at all the scars…" Jade admitted, wavering. "I wonder, if they had never died…Would I just have different ones?"

A painful silence followed, and it made Jack's heart hurt to hear.

"But…Thank you, for giving me Jack."

The warmth in his chest flared up at those words, bittersweet on the boy's tongue.

"I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't found me…"

And just the thought, the realization of _what could have been_, was all that Jack could take.

The hinges creaked as he pushed the door open, and Jade gasped, tears in her eyes as she turned away from the window.

"Jack!"

Rubbing the tears away, she tried to smile, failing rather miserably.

"What are you doing back so early? I thought North wanted help with testing the-"

Jack was so focused on the glassiness of her eyes, the wet drops hanging from her lashes, that the words fell on deaf ears as he pulled the girl into a hug.

The Night Fury tensed, wings twitching as if ready to unfurl, and the frost-boy clung tighter while whispering sweet words into her hair.

"It's alright, Jade…It's alright…"

After a moment, she internally collapsed, and tears soaked into Jack's hoodie as the flood came.

Rocking her on the soft cushions, the winter spirit waited out the tears, face buried in her hair and _wishing_ there was something more he could do.

When the girl's sobs died down to sniffles, Jack sighed in relief.

"Jade?"

Hiccupping, she burrowed further into the embrace.

"I-I'm okay…"

_Sure, because _everyone_ breaks down into tears when they're feeling alright_.

"Please, tell me what's wrong." Jack begged, grip tightening. "I want to help…"

Jade said nothing for a while, and he thought she might not say _anything_ until…

"It's a long story, Jack."

Tilting her face up, Jack managed a smile and kissed her forehead.

"I'm not going anywhere, beautiful."

An answering smile bloomed in the corner of her mouth, and Jade sighed, giving in.

"Alright…I guess I should start from the very beginning." She decided, and the teenagers shifted slightly to get comfortable as the dragon-girl organized her thoughts.

"As far back as I can remember, I've always been the last Night Fury…"


	16. 16

Jack could not find sleep that night.

No matter how long he stared at the ceiling, or the wall, or the moon, his lids never got heavy.

All he could think about were the scars that covered almost every inch of Jade's body.

Burns, punctures, tears…

What had she gone through?

Two hundred years, wandering around lost, without a single person in the world who cared…

It painfully reminded Jack of his first years as an immortal.

_No child deserved to know what that felt like_.

Insomnia was Jack's friend for days, those thoughts circling through his head on an endless loop.

_It only took one to realize the inability to sleep was a blessing_.

* * *

Midnight came in darkness, the moon covered by clouds and leaving only the stars to light up the night.

A whimper echoed through the room, and Jack sat up, looking towards the nest where the Night Fury was sleeping, almost invisible in the shadows.

The puppies were curled under her wing, content and warm, but there was a tension in the dragon's face that was new.

No sand hovered over her head, but that was not unusual; Sandy was busy, and though he did his best to find time, he could not always send her a good dream.

Normally, this was not a problem.

_But tonight was different_.

A high whine escaped the dragon's throat, scales bristling up like spiked armor, tail tensing and the tip flicking around in a clear sign of distress.

Alex seemed to notice as well, waking up with a curious little yip, nose twitching when his 'mother' did not attend to him like she usually would.

This set off alarm bells in Jack's mind, and he scrambled out of bed, old memories rearing their ugly heads.

Moments after scooping up the drowsy pups, Jade roared, thrashing around in a deadly heap of claws, fangs and tail.

_It was as if she was fighting for her life_.

The pups howled, afraid for their caregiver, and the commotion seemed to wake everyone in Santoff Claussen like a bomb had gone off.

Yeti burst in the door, sleep-mussed and tripping over equally-disoriented elves, but backpedaled when a jet of lightning-blue flame lit up the room like fireworks.

Jack leapt over to the now much more alert yeti, shoving the puppies into their arms.

"Don't open this door again until I tell you!" He ordered, closing it with a snap so he could avoid another bit of flame.

Luckily, none of the blasts were particularly hot, fizzling out and leaving the smell of burnt ozone behind.

Carefully, the winter spirit closed the distance between them, flinching back to avoid a flailing wing or claw-tipped paws.

"Jade! _Jade_! You need to wake up!"

Reaching the Night Fury's head, Jack pressed a hand to her nose, waiting for his scent to register.

After a few moments, the dragon started to wake up, panting heavily and trembling.

Hazy green eyes blinked open, and she crooned softly in question.

"It's okay, fluffy." Jack assured, petting the spines along her cheeks and smoothing the scales on her face. "Everything's alright now."

Jade's entire body went limp, wedge-shaped head landing in the frost-boy's lap as her scales clicked together like agitated wind chimes.

Soothing her, Jack wondered what had brought on this sudden nightmare.

They had not been this bad since-

Guilt choked him as he realized it had been nearly three hundred years.

Meeting North's gaze from the doorway, Jack resolved to never let her feel that sort of terror ever again.

_She wasn't alone anymore_.


End file.
